MidEast Tacos
Restaurant · Silver Lake ·
Middle Eastern eatery with tacos, kabobs, steaks, burritos
Middle Eastern eatery with tacos, kabobs, steaks, burritos
"After launching as a pop-up in 2017, this fully realized Silver Lake corner spot from Mini Kabob chef Armen Martirosyan weaves his family’s Armenian and Egyptian heritage into Los Angeles’s deeply rooted Mexican cooking, landing somewhere between a neighborhood taqueria and a bustling kebab shop that feels like a reflection of the city. Coriander-tinged falafel feels right at home in tacos while beef kebab finds its way into blistered quesadillas. For what to order, the steak quesadilla layers stretchy, melted mozzarella with tender steak kebab, Thai basil, and garlicky toum arbol in a 12-inch flour tortilla from Tortillas Mejorado, arriving cut into thirds and hearty enough to be a full meal for one or share as a side. Still-hot-from-the-fryer falafel tacos get cooling avocado salsa, red onion, cilantro, Thai basil, and toum arbol, a vegetarian option that stands up to the rest of the menu. The shrimp burrito packs flame-kissed shrimp, rice that would feel at home in an Armenian restaurant, Thai basil, avocado salsa, red onion, guajillo-heavy salsa roja, and toum into a tightly wrapped tortilla. With no indoor seating, it’s best for a casual sidewalk lunch on a nice day or dinner to go. Insider tip: peel open the quesadilla and layer in a handful of crispy papas for a potato chip in sandwich–esque moment." - Rebecca Roland
"Mexicans and Armenians share a love of grilled meats and wrapping things in flatbread, so it was only a matter of time before burritos like the ones at Mideast Tacos—a casual fusion spot from the Mini Kabob people—came into existence. Each brick-sized wrap comes with a grilled kabob, buttery rice, thai basil, and whipped garlic sauce spiked with arbol chiles. The whole package is then grilled on all sides until the tortilla crackles like a Crunchwrap Supreme. As far as the protein, prioritize the steak—the potent garlicky marinade makes it taste like eating a Mini Kabob plate (in burrito form)." - sylvio martins, cathy park, garrett snyder
"MidEast might not be the first fast-casual spot to serve kebab tacos, but it's easily the most memorable. This tiny Mexican-Armenian spot from the Mini Kabob team folds smoky steak, chicken, and shrimp into tortillas and punches them up with thai basil and chile-spiked garlic sauce. Takeout is big here, but the grilled items are best eaten ASAP on the handful of streetside tables. Hefty rice-filled burritos taste like a Mini Kabob plate wrapped up (a good thing), while thick cottage fries are dusted in aleppo pepper. It’s all good, but the crispy cilantro-green falafel taco might be our favorite, at least when eaten hot from the fryer." - sylvio martins, brant cox, cathy park
"Operating out of a brick-lined corner on Sunset Boulevard, this Armenian-Mexican spot serves toum-topped tacos, crispy papas dusted with Aleppo pepper, and burritos stuffed with marinated chicken — but the best way to experience it is the simple steak taco on a corn tortilla: smoky, well-spiced chopped beef reminiscent of Mini Kabob’s flavors and sized perfectly for a street-taco bite. A side of crispy potatoes and sidewalk seating complete the ideal meal." - Eater Staff
"Mini Kabob chef-owner Armen Martirosyan’s Mexican Armenian pop-up, MidEast Tacos, has settled nicely into a permanent spot on Sunset Boulevard in Silver Lake. The menu reads like the ultimate Mexican Armenian mashup with falafel tacos, chicken quesadillas, and steak burritos. Each dish has a unique twist, like the shrimp burrito that’s served with Thai basil and toum, in addition to a more classic salsa roja. Add in an order of papas for the table — no meal here is complete without these crispy cottage fries tossed in Aleppo pepper." - Rebecca Roland
